Northeastern @ MBB, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2 PM

[Pride97]

What a great game. Just saw the replay of the game on Flo. Was so nice to see Joe get honored. Loved that Eli and Buie came back also.

I liked that even some of the children brought signs to the game. Old school stuff right there. Kids will be kids. Hope The Macka is packed for the remaining home games. This was a great game for a new student to go to and maybe get hooked

The actually have a table near the bounce house with poster board and markers for kids to make signs. It’s actually a great idea and nice touch.


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[Pride97]

It's just they looked so uncool in them. Really it made them look ridiculous-like those 70s fake tuxedo shirts. I honestly thought they were going to take them off after the ceremony. It kind of goes against the whole classy image of most of the things the team wears. Speedy is always very sharp looking. Notice he wasn't wearing it in the presser. My whole point is, yeah, I get the joke, but don't make them wear it the whole game because it looks silly. Bush league. You wouldn't see Duke or Michigan or UCLA wearing that for a whole game.

Fair enough, I get what you're saying. And we are all entitled to our opinions, just like mine is that you're making way too much of this and that I think most thought it was a fun thing. But think what you want.

Remember the era we are in now though. Ever since last year, with Covid, the suits are gone in college and in the NBA. It's possible that Speedy and the staff would've worn suits on a day like today, pre-Covid. But with the suits no longer a thing, they figured just keep the Joe t-shirts on. You may be right about top-level programs not doing that type of thing the whole game pre-Covid, but today they might. I'll send an example if I can find one. Might already be out there.

It's also a good rallying thing - just another thing to help keep the team and staff together. We know Joe meant a lot to them, what he still does, and always will mean to them. Hard to blame them for that choice. Personally, I loved it.

Completely agree. It’s fun and it was for ONE game. Nothing to br embarrassed of at all. Humorous way to honor an important person in the history of the program.


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[Wags]

What a great game. Just saw the replay of the game on Flo. Was so nice to see Joe get honored. Loved that Eli and Buie came back also.

I liked that even some of the children brought signs to the game. Old school stuff right there. Kids will be kids. Hope The Macka is packed for the remaining home games. This was a great game for a new student to go to and maybe get hooked

They actually have a table near the bounce house with poster board and markers for kids to make signs. It’s actually a great idea and nice touch.

They could have done nothing with that area after they were forced to close up those seats because the lower attendance forced by Covid forced them to do so. But kudos to Hofstra for the bounce house and the poster-making table. Turned a negative into a positive, and any time that benefits making kids involved and happy, even better!

[Wags]

Here's the Doherty missed FT, Cooks game-winning layup and Simmons' strip to ice it:
https://twitter.com/JonathanJWagner/sta ... 9152055314

[Wags]

Speedy is always very sharp looking. Notice he wasn't wearing it in the presser.

With the suits gone in the Covid era, Speedy wears the same warmup gear everyone else wears. Not sure he's more sharply dressed than anyone else.

And actually, he was still wearing the Mihalich shirt in the presser. It was underneath the warmup, but he was still wearing it.

[triplec2195]

In terms of just the game couldn't help but feel wow this is such a disappointment to honor our former coach who brought this team back from the depths of despair. A man who preached integrity, toughness never quitting and as we honor him we're going to lose this game. The reality of it is we're getting outcoached in this game and could actually lose to a team that has only won one game in this conference. Their record is 1-13 going into this game. It's like a deja-vu when we lost to W&M in our first CAA game what a cruel fate for us, embarrassing. It would be a punch in the gut loss but I guess as Speedy said post game good teams find a way to win. Bill Coen once again found a way to make our lives miserable and spoil the party. So the perfect game plan after hitting some three's in the first half they posted up their guards down low and whoever was playing the 5 came over to help out our outsized guards Doherty would wind up with easy baskets. In Boston he scored 10 points against us but here it was much TOO easy. I should mention we also shot 2-14 from three that certainly screwed us in the first half. The kid Telfort against either Ray or Cooks. At 6'7 it was childs play we were giving up 5"-8" in every mismatch. I thought if we played man to man then we had a good matchup with Dubar against Telfort. But who guards Strong at 6'8 or Djogo at 6'8 or even Walters at 6'6 so even after going down by 10 points somehow miraculously we find a way to come back. I guess a few three balls helped the cause as we shot 6-10 in the second half two of those by Cooks and I believe at least one by Ray. For all the games that we lost in the last seconds this was the one we were going to win the same way. Interesting at the end of the game ONLY down by three we opt to go for the two with NE letting Estrada just walk in for the layup. I believe 28 seconds on the clock. Now down by 1 and with only having 4 fouls we had the perfect scenario to go for the steal without putting them at the foul line. Just a story book kind of ending with Cooks taking it to the rack to score on a circus like layup. Well we didn't let JAM down I guess in our own way we showed the kind of toughness and resolve it took to win this game when it seemed so futile. Thanks for the memories Joe and stay healthy!!

[stuball888]

Nicely done

[HUSID74]

Remember Northeastern's only win was against Towson, arguable the best team in the League. This is college basketball and things like upsets happen...so happy for Joe and all involved that we pulled out this win though.

[Wags]

In terms of just the game couldn't help but feel wow this is such a disappointment to honor our former coach who brought this team back from the depths of despair.

Well then, that was the perfect win to honor him, because yesterday's game was likewise brought back from the depths of despair.

When you win six straight, you're likely to have all ends of the spectrum, so yesterday has to be looked at in the bigger picture of the streak: a couple of tough ones that were deserved (UNCW, JMU), a couple of solid, fairly easy ones (by 10 at Drexel and by 14 at Delaware), one laugher (by 33 at Elon), and that they should have had no business winning, but they stole anyway (yesterday). It's hard enough to string together six straight wins in a very competitive conference. If we're also asking for style points on every one of those wins, it's unrealistic.

If you think otherwise, look how the first-place team in the conference swept the sixth-place team in the league this season:
In two games against UNCW this season, JMU led for a total of more than 62 minutes, including with less than a second remaining in each game, and lost both. JMU also had >75% FT shooters at the line to ice both games and went 0-for-3.

And since we're talking about a win against Northeastern, I cannot imagine the level of sheer panic and utter despair we'd see on this board for the entire future of the program if Hofstra were ever picked second in the CAA and started 1-14 in the conference.

[triplec2195]

Remember Northeastern's only win was against Towson, arguable the best team in the League. This is college basketball and things like upsets happen...so happy for Joe and all involved that we pulled out this win though.

We all know about basketball and the runs in a game and that no two games against the same team parallel each other but man this would have been a real heart breaker to lose worse then our senior day, last HOME game for JWF and we lose in O/T to JMU. That was BAD this I feel would have been worse IMO.

[triplec2195]

WAGS wrote:
And since we're talking about a win against Northeastern, I cannot imagine the level of sheer panic and utter despair we'd see on this board for the entire future of the program if Hofstra were ever picked second in the CAA and started 1-14 in the conference.

Yeah I could only imagine what POLITO WOULD BE WRITING ABOUT THAT(LOL) but for sure he wouldn't be alone but watching this team NE and knowing their coach this is a MUCH better team then their record shows and maybe if that kid Pridgen was eligible things would have been different for them?

[joeg1]

A few observations from Section 101:

The referee crew called an awful, inconsistent game. They were letting Doherty, a 6'7" 240 lb ACC reject, push our guys around in the post (Simmons was the only one who could guard him) without making calls, but they called hand checks against our guards in the open court. Omar picked up two soft, early fouls. Fortunately, the refs got the pivotal calls in the dying minutes right.

The lineup with Cooks and Ray, for the most part, is too small, and we could not defend their shooters. When it was go-time in the final minutes, it worked because we had them on their heels.

Not sure why Speedy didn't put Omar back in for the second half when no one's shot was falling. He was fresh off a scoring explosion, so I was hoping it would carry over some.

We made Northeastern look good because we couldn't hit the ocean from a row boat. Usually we have enough depth to insert the hot hand, but we couldn't get anything to go until time was running down. When our shots don't fall we look very ordinary.

Joe very deservedly got his day, and I'm thrilled we pulled it out. Really, one of the most exciting games in years! I do think it was a little over the top; probably a distraction from the task at hand. Everyone can have their opinion, but I thought the shirts were corny (kitschy?). I think the whole affair woke the sleeping bear- probably motivated our opponent.

[stuball888]

Northeastern probably played one of their better games this year, Coen will have them ready for the tournament. I would not be surprised if they pull off an upset or 2.

[stuball888]

talk about corny, Joe you do remember the radio commercials to attend and promote Hofstra university back in the 90s

[Wags]

Not sure why Speedy didn't put Omar back in for the second half when no one's shot was falling. He was fresh off a scoring explosion, so I was hoping it would carry over some.

Or when Silverio was in the game, and the team started 3/19 from 3 before making their last 5, why Silverio, who was 1/1 from 3 (making him 12/17 from 3 over two games) didn't take more 3s instead of going 0/5 from 2.

[Wags]

Northeastern probably played one of their better games this year, Coen will have them ready for the tournament. I would not be surprised if they pull off an upset or 2.

I already think they'll beat W&M in the 8/9 game and with the way UNCW has been mediocre and involved in a lot of close games since starting 9-0 in league play, it wouldn't shock me if UNCW is sweating out a quarterfinal game in the final minute or two against Northeastern IF UNCW holds on to the top spot. If it's Towson, well, we already know that was Northeastern's only conference win this so far this season - although I think the chances of that upset would be less for the Huskies than against UNCW, which seems a lot more shaky of late, while Towson has been playing very good ball.

[joeg1]

talk about corny, Joe you do remember the radio commercials to attend and promote Hofstra university back in the 90s

Yep. I was a student then.

Hofstra, to this day, has a pretty inbred culture. The insiders think they are so clever, when sometimes, they need an outsider's perspective to tell them their ideas stink.

[stuball888]

Corny but it was somewhat effective

[joeg1]

I would have kept the cream colored shirt, with "Leave on a Make" on the back, but got rid of the dopey lapel and tie thing, and just put "Joe Mihalich Day" on the front. That would have been fine without having everyone look foolish.

And if you want to be cute, give the original shirt to the student section, but let the team and coaches keep their dignity!

[HofstraMathew]

Not sure why Speedy didn't put Omar back in for the second half when no one's shot was falling. He was fresh off a scoring explosion, so I was hoping it would carry over some.

Or when Silverio was in the game, and the team started 3/19 from 3 before making their last 5, why Silverio, who was 1/1 from 3 (making him 12/17 from 3 over two games) didn't take more 3s instead of going 0/5 from 2.

This is exactly why he didn’t play more. Kept taking shots that were not what he excels at. He also had a few miscues on defense that speedy was getting on him for.